Good news for those seeking work permits in Russia. The Russian Government has announced that they will be issuing about 1.8 million work permits to foreign nationals for the year 2008. Back in 2007, a total of 1.7 million work permits were issued by the government. The Federal Migration Service announced that this figure doubled from the previous year, 2006.
Russia is among the hottest countries that skilled or unskilled workers turn to for employment. Their statistics show that each year, there are more than 20 million people who come to the country to work or look for work. However, the downfall is that most of these people come to the country illegally. Thus, they have substantially increased the work permits issued over the past few years. In 2007 however, there were only 5 million foreign nationals who applied for work permits. This is only 25 percent of the total foreign nationals coming to the country to work.
Most of the migrant workers are nationals of the old Soviet nations like the country of Uzbekistan. In order to address the rising figures of illegal immigration in Russia, the country has discussed agreements with the other former Soviet Republic nations or members. The increase of work permit quotas will also provide great relief to this problem.
Aside from the work permit quota being increased, Russia is also changing some multiple-entry visa rules. The multiple-entry business visas can only be valid for 180 days in a year and valid for only 90 days for each entry.
I am glad to see that Russia continues to open up to the world.